I Miss Stuffing

So last week, right after Thanksgiving, one of my patient’s grandmas stared deeply into my eyes and said “I MISS stuffing!” To which I answered, “Me too.”

That’s the short answer.  The longer answer is that for the first few years, we replaced bread stuffing in our turkey with a rice stuffing, and it worked fabulously.  Tasted like stuffing, wasn’t trying to be the stuck-together-comfort-food-gluten-glued stuffing that I grew up loving.  We were all happy around the Thanksgiving table.  We’re ten years into GFCF at my house now, and I’m experimenting with breads again.  We were really really close to a GFCF version of the stuck-together-comfort-food-gluten-glued stuffing this year.  If I get there- no, WHEN I get there, I’ll be sure to post that recipe- stay tuned…

For now, so that you don’t have to miss stuffing at this time of year when we consume copious quantities of turkey and stuffing and gravy, I thought we ought to re-post the yummy Roast Turkey and Rice Dressing Recipe that Grammie Buckley actually wrote up and put in her Grammies Recipes book that is available on Amazon.  (Remember to purchase it through Fundinco if you get one!)

Roast Turkey with Rice Dressing

Plan about 4-5 hours to stuff and roast an 18 lb. turkey. Follow roasting times on turkey packaging. Caution: Never stuff a turkey until it is oven time. Bacteria in poultry grow rapidly at room temperature!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Onions finely chopped
• 2 cups Celery finely chopped
• 3 Tbs. GFCF Butter or Oil
• 6 cups Rice cooked moist and cooled or left over
• 3 Large Eggs beaten (optional to hold ingredients together)
• 2 tsp. GFCF Poultry Seasoning
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat oil, sauté onions, celery, salt and pepper until onions are clear.
2. Add rice, beaten eggs and poultry seasoning. Toss and mix thoroughly. Fill cavity of turkey just before ready to put into oven. Close cavity with poultry pins.
3. Place turkey breast side up in roasting pan. Salt and pepper the skin. Cover with a tilted or vented lid. Roast at 350 F. for 3-4 hours or until thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reads 180 F.
4. One half hour before turkey is done, remove lid to allow browning. When meat thermometer reads 180 F., remove from oven and place turkey on a carving board. Keep hot and serve as quickly as possible.
5. Our grandmothers used to recommend letting the bird cool for ease of slicing. But, in these days of electric knives we can carve hot meat into attractive slices and avoid the bacteria- growing room temperature.